Gaming is becoming a more social and leisure activity. Individual players intending to gamble often stroll a casino floor with other people in small groups or as couples, for example, as a husband and wife. Generally, players (and their friends or spouses who may not want to gamble) prefer to maintain their social interactivity while on a casino floor. However, with casino floors becoming increasingly congested with gaming machines, tables, and record numbers of people gambling, keeping a social group intact is getting more difficult. For example, at peak times, a couple or a group of friends may wander a casino floor and search for two or more adjacent seats at a card table, at adjacent gaming machines, or at sports and horserace wagering areas. Consequently, sometimes patrons have to either separate, spend more time searching or waiting for desirable seating or leave to go to another casino to find a suitable playing area with the desired games.
Most gaming machines, card tables, and sports wagering floors are not conducive or accommodating to two or more people gaming, whether they are playing separate games or sharing decision making on a single game, and variations thereof, or sitting together and simultaneously socializing. Even if two or more adjacent seats are found at a card table or at gaming machines, they typically are not prone to be comfortable for long-term socializing, for instance, over the course of an evening or night. This is especially true for casino patrons who are less inclined to gamble and are there with friends or a spouse more for the social aspects and to participate in non-gaming activities (e.g., video and audio entertainment) or simply to watch others gamble. Many current gaming machines and casino floor layouts are poorly suited to address the increasing need to make gaming a more social activity.
Certain known gaming systems display an award on a single display device for multiple gaming machines. For example, known electronic horse racing game systems include individual terminals that enable players to wager on a horse race displayed on a large display device positioned in front of the individual terminals. Many casinos also have designated rooms with seating areas (sometimes called sports books) for a plurality of players. The rooms include large displays which display live sporting events and teller stations. The casino enables the players to wager on various sporting events at the teller stations. In another example, progressive awards for multiple gaming machines are often displayed by a display device above the gaming machines where such awards can be won. Certain known gaming devices enable a player to play multiple games at the same time. For example, one very popular gaming machine enables a single player to play multiple poker games at the same time.
However, these known gaming machines and systems do not promote or foster socialization between players, or between players and non-players. Accordingly, there is a need for new gaming systems that provide an environment that facilitates social interactivity among patrons thereby enhancing the casino experience for gamers and non-gamers.